War
War is the main protagonist of Darksiders. While the youngest of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he remains an Old One Nephilim. He is very easily angered as shown in the Darksiders Comic. Overview "The Horseman War has charged into countless battles astride his spectral steed Ruin, leaving trail of blood and bones in his wake. His eyes and hair are as white as the chill he casts on angels and demons alike, for the fury of his massive sword is unmatched in combat. As unyielding as time itself, War is both honorable and savage." War was shown in the comic book (which came with pre-ordered versions of Darksiders) wearing little armor, lacking a hood, and no gauntlet. While not much is known about him, it is established that he was feared by both Angels and Demons, and hinted that he shares unpleasant histories with many. Even The Charred Council is somewhat wary of War, until one point the Red Horseman openly defied them. A small army sent by the council to retrieve War, but they were easily slain before the other Horsemen intervened. During this, War showed his strength by attacking the other three, and somewhat defeating Fury. Death - the strongest and eldest Horseman - was attacked next by War, but to little effect. Death barely showed pain as he was impaled by War's sword Chaoseater. No match for the senior Horseman, War was subdued by Death when the latter severed the former's arm. Synopsis of Darksiders 'Apocalypse' When the End War erupted, War crash-landed in the center of one of humanity's cities to find the armies of Heaven and Hell already waging open war in the streets. Slaying any angel, demon or human that tried to bar his path, War fought his way to the city center, where he found the Archangel Abaddon leading Heaven's army against the demonic hordes; War called out to the Archangel, demanding to know where his brethren were, but a shocked Abaddon's response was only to that "The seventh seal was not broken!". Unaware of his surroundings, the Archangel was felled by the Demon commander Straga emerging from the ground beneath him. Though greatly outclassed, War engaged the demon commander in battle, stabbing one of Straga's eyes out in the process. Unfortunately, the tables turned when War's powers were drained. Weakened, the Horseman was easily crushed by Straga. His "death" sent War to The Charred Council. Accused by the Charred Council of inciting the End War before its appointed time and of assisting the armies of Hell in claiming victory, War was stripped of his extraordinary powers, including his sword and even his horse, Ruin; the Red Horseman was sentenced to death. But determined to prove his innocence in the matter, War persuaded the Charred Council to allow him to clear his name, proclaiming, "When I rode, Heaven and Hell were already at war." Partially convinced, The Charred Council ordered the Horseman to return to Earth and learn the truth of what had happened, advising him to seek out the demon merchant known as Vulgrim, one of many outcasts from Hell who'd long sought the Council's favour. But wary of what the Horseman would do unchecked, the Council bound an entity known as the Watcher to War, to serve as the Council's eyes and ears on the mission, and to kill War should he disobey his orders. 'Path of Vengeance' War returned to Earth, armed with a weakened Chaoseater. However, he found himself a little off course, ending up in the Seraphim Hotel rather than at his proper destination, The Crossroads. As War headed out, The Watcher used dark magic to bind him, "laying down some ground rules" before releasing the Horseman. Fighting through scores of the Wicked (the remnants of humanity) and a number of Demons, War eventually escaped the Seraphim Hotel. The changed and empty cityscape led to War demanding information from the Watcher. The dark entity replied saying an entire century has passed since the Fall of Man. War eventually encountered Vulgrim nearby, who quickly explained that the answers to War's questions lay in the tower where The Destroyer, a powerful demon who'd led Hell's armies to victory in the End War, made his lair, but remarked that in his weakened state, War "would last a heartbeat". In exchange for a bribe of five hundred Souls, Vulgrim would offer information that would help War continue his journey. The Red Horseman journeyed around the city, collecting souls by slaying Wicked and Demons; War eventually returned to Vulgrim once he could buy the demon's information. Vulgrim traded with War a artifact known as the Earthcaller - a horn powerful enough to wake a Tormented Gate. Also, Vulgrim insisted the Horseman should find the demon lord Samael, once right-hand man of The Destroyer and among the most powerful demons in Hell, but now imprisoned following his fall from grace . 'The Twilight Cathedral' Putting the Earthcaller to use, a Tormented Gate moved out of War's way, so the Horseman fought his way through the now opened Library and met the Phantom General guarding Samael's prison in the Scalding Gallow. After an exchange of words, War killed the Phantom General and freed Samael. In return for his release, Samael said he can get War into The Destroyer's Spire, but it was protected by demonic magics. In order to lower the barrier, Samael needed the hearts of the''' Chosen''' -Hell's strongest warriors hand chosen by the Destroyer himself to guard the approach to the Tower. The first target was to be Tiamat, the Bat Queen, whose lair was located in the Twilight Cathedral. To aid him, Samael granted War the ability of Shadowflight, shadowy wings allowing the Horseman to temporarily glide through the air. War crosses into the Choking Grounds, a location full of the Undead warriors, until War meets another Tormented Gate and is given the ability to see into the Shadow Realm. Using this new ability War must destroy the Shadow arena challenge to proceed with the Tormented Gate saying "By their blood we are chained, by their blood we shall be free." After the Gate leaves, War traverses through the Broken Stair to the end of the high way and faces a Trauma for the first time since the Apocalypse. After breaking the demon's neck, War travels through the old building to the top and finds a party of Angels hunting among the ruin for him, including Uriel. The angels insist there is nothing in the ruins but demons; however, Uriel disagrees, asking "Can't you smell it? From neither the White City nor the Black Depths, but something lost between". As hi angelic hunters draw closer, War hijacks an Angelic beast from its riders and uses it to evade the pursuing Hellguard and demon swarms amidst the ruins and continues his journey. War soon arrives at the Twilight Cathedral and explores it. While exploring War finds the Crossblade and kills the Jailer. Solving the puzzles, War unlocked the path to Tiamat's inner sanctum. As he entered, the Bat Queen taunted him, asking whether he had lowered himself to become an assassin for the Council, or was simply doing Samael's bidding. At this, Tiamat tried to cut a deal with War, but to no avail. After a battle War finally kills Tiamat by ripping her wings off then tearing her heart out with encouragement from the Watcher. 'The Hollows' War's next target was the next Guardian: the Griever but Samael remarked that first there was an 'obstacle' to be removed first: Ulthane, one of the Old Ones. When the Watcher accused Samael of changing the deal, the demon angrily knocked him aside, dismissing the Watcher as 'filth' and a 'parasite' who 'stifles the Horseman's true power to keep him on the Council's leash' then demanded that War kill the Watcher and free himself from the Council's control. Furious with both, War punches the Watcher and gains the Chaos Form. In private, Samael viewed the Horseman's refusal to slay the Watcher as weakness, but warily remarked to himself he had seen in that moment one who 'would stand alone against the Destroyer's army'. War travels to the Drowned Pass and meets another Tormented Gate. War again defeats the Shadow Challenges and the Tormented Gate leaves opening the way to Anvil's Ford. When War enters he sees a massive hammer in the middle of the area and tries to lift it but fails and is told by Ulthane to keep his hands off what isn't his. War says the Black Hammer is Ulthane and they fight with War using Chaos Form as nothing else works but their 'tussle' is interrupted by Uriel and the Hellguard, who, having waited more than a century to avenge Abaddon's death, are eager to exact justice. Since she cannot see War tried in the White City for his 'crimes', Uriel orders the Hellguard to kill War on the spot. However, Ulthane and War team up to fight their common enemy, and have a contest to see who can kill the most angels. If War wins Ulthane will give him the Combat Lore weapon enhancement and then War must face Uriel. After a short duel, War renders Uriel unconscious and the Hellguard retreat. Ulthane allows War to enter The Hollows where the Griever makes her lair, happy to help the Horseman kill the demon because of the trouble she and her young have caused him. As War travels through the dungeons he acquires the Tremor Gauntlet and faces the Griever. War kills the Griever by breaking off one leg and then ramming the Griever in the face with train cart breaking its jaw. War goes to Ulthane and shows himself in by throwing the hammer grazing Ulthane's face. Ulthane offers War the lethal handgun Mercy, but War interrogates him, questioning why the last of the Old Ones makes his home among the ruins of Mankind; Ulthane stays silent, even at gunpoint. War goes to Samael with another heart and gains the power to slow down time with the Chronomancer and is sent to the Ashlands for the Stygian's heart. 'The Ashlands' To the Dry Road and then the Ashlands War uses the Chronomancer to avoid the Ash Titan and reach the Phantom Den where the Stygian is being held. After slaying the demons War finds himself in an arena and faces Abyssal Rider, two Traumas, and the Abyssal Gladiator who has enslaved Ruin. War kills the Gladiator and takes back Ruin then escapes to Leviathan's Drift and kills the Stygian by jumping down its throat and ripping out its heart. After returning to Samael, War is once again sent to get the last heart which belongs to Silitha in the Iron Canopy. 'The Iron Canopy' After going through the Ashlands War rides on the Soul Bridge and is abducted into the Iron Canopy by Silitha's children. After breaking free of his imprisonment, War traversed the web-infested streets of the Iron Canopy, slaying the demons and breaking the protective enchantments that blocked access to Silitha's inner sanctum. Once the way was opened, War entered the lair; inside, Silitha confronted him, and told him an astounding revelation; the Chosen played no part in protecting the Tower- the charge the Destroyer had given them was to prevent Samael's return at any cost. The reason Samael wanted their hearts was to regain his power that had been implanted in them; Silitha warned that while War could easily kill her and take her heart to Samael, in the demon lord he would 'face a threat greater than all the Chosen combined!'. In response to this dire warning, War coldly replied "I did not come for your council, spider. Or your stories". Rebuffed, Silitha attacked, but after a lengthy fight, War smashed the Spider Queen through the floor and impaled her on a stalagmite below her, before reclaiming her heart. War returned to the Scalding Gallow and remonstrated with Samael for his lies; Samael pointed out he had made it clear his reasons for helping War were his own and that he still meant to honour their bargain and deliver War to the Tower. Reluctantly, War handed over the final heart, restoring Samael to his true power. After briefly threatening to kill War for trying to deny what was his, Samael remarked he had a code of business to follow, and that he could tell War was on a quest for revenge, something even Samael respected. True to his word, Samael opened a portal that would take War to the Tower. Before leaving, War asked Samael why he had challenged the Destroyer; Samael replied he "did not approve of the company my master keeps" and told War he would understand when he came to the end of his quest. With his task done, War made for the portal, despite the Watcher's misgivings. Before he departed, Samael ominously remarked to the Horseman "We will meet again". 'The Black Throne' The portal conveyed War to the Black Throne inside the Tower, where he discovered a strange prisoner; Azrael, the Angel of Death. Azrael's first reaction to War's presence was terror, remarking that the Seventh Seal had not been broken. Once he learned War had not come with the intention of killing him, he asked War to free him. Azrael explained that the Destroyer had sent Straga against him, imprisoned him and forced him to open the Well of Souls and use its power for the benefit of the Destroyer. War then traversed across the Tower, channeling the energy of souls from different regions of the Tower back to Azrael's prison in order to free the angel. As War freed him, Azrael made a terrible confession; Abaddon had recruited him for a plot to bring the Apocalypse about early. Abaddon believed that delaying the Endwar any longer would ensure the defeat of Heaven, but that the Council was tying their hands by forcing the angels to honor the truce. Abaddon's plan was to break six of the seven seals (they would leave the Seventh intact to prevent the Horsemen from interfering); when the final battle began, the Chosen of Hell would gather to declare battle rights, at which point the Hellguard would descend and slay the most powerful of the demons in one strike. Azrael voiced fears that breaking the seals would destroy the Kingdom of Man and, even if victorious, would see them both punished by the Council; however, Abaddon revealed his masterstroke- the seals would be reforged by a third conspirator; Ulthane. When the Council arrived to investigate, there would be no evidence of their plot; they could claim the demons had attacked Earth prematurely and Heaven had brought Hell to justice. However, the plan had collapsed with Abaddon's death. Furious at this revelation, War blamed Azrael for his fall from grace, while the Watcher ordered War to execute Azrael for his treason. However, War refused, saying his service to the Council was over. The Watcher 'disagreed', insisting War was required to restore the balance. With Azrael freed, the angel opened the way for the Horseman to confront Straga. He also prolonged his life by explaining that he would be War's only way out of the Tower, since Straga's death would cause the Tower's destruction. War descended into the depths of the Tower and challenged Straga; after a lengthy fight, War, fighting with more power than he had in their first duel, defeated and killed Straga, thus avenging his earlier defeat. As the Tower began to collapse in response to Straga's death, Azrael appeared and conveyed War to safety. 'Eden' Azrael brought War to Eden, thought to be destroyed, but in truth preserved by Azrael. The angel explained that War would need to visit the Tree of Knowledge in order to obtain a way to defeat the Destroyer. After battling a a twisted mirror of himself, a creature born from the darkness of his battles, War proceeded alone to the Tree, where he received a revealing and terrible vision of things both past and yet to come. The vision showed that after Abaddon was killed in the apocalypse, he was taken to a strange limbo and confronted by a mysterious woman. After being told his own plan has been manipulated for her own ends, the woman offered Abaddon the chance to become her mightiest lieutenant; the Destroyer. Abaddon initially refused becoming the very thing he had fought to destroy, but realized as the woman pointed out, once his crimes became common knowledge, he would be discredited, condemned and likely executed by the Council. With no other option, Abaddon became the Destroyer. The vision also shows that the Destroyer has possession of the seventh seal and plans to lay siege to Heaven; Uriel will lead the Hellguard into battle with him, and fail. The vision shows also that the Charred Council are aware of what was happening; though they couldn't stop events themselves, the Council knew the Horsemen could stop the conspirators, but would never lower themselves to become assassins. The council thus chose to send War to Earth alone in the Apocalypse, and then accuse him of starting the Endwar, knowing full well he would stop at nothing to clear his name. The vision finally shows War being betrayed by the Watcher and stabbed through the back with a sword. War returned to Azrael and the Watcher and told them what he had seen (though he kept silent on the Council's betrayal). Azrael explained that the sword he had seen was the Armageddon Blade, but that Abaddon had had it destroyed. However, War had obtained a piece of the sword and knew where to find the rest. Azrael instructed War to find the pieces of the sword and take them to Ulthane, the only one who could reforge it. War set off on his search, gathering the sword's remains from across the shattered world. As he reached the Dry Road, he encountered another challenge; Uriel, who challenged the Horseman to 'Nex Sacramentum', a duel to the death. War defeated Uriel after a lengthy battle, yet refused to kill her, despite the Watcher's urgings. War departed, but not before informing Uriel of the Destroyer's true identity and reminding her that the duel's requirement that one must die was soon to be fulfilled. Hurt by the revelation, Uriel also departed, gathered the Hellguard for battle and launched an attack against the Destroyer's lair in the ruins of the Tower. 'The Final Battle' With the broken pieces of the Blade gathered, War returned to Anvil's Ford and had the blade reforged by Ulthane. With his new weapon ready, War returned to Azrael, who informed him of what had happened and allowed War, as one last act of service, to reach the Destroyer's lair. War arrived in the wake of Uriel's attack; the Destroyer had routed the angels and taken Uriel captive. The Destroyer mused on Abaddon and Uriel's unrequited love for one another for a moment, then turned his full attention to War and made him the following offer: "Heaven hunts you. Hell hates you. All of creation cares not whether you live or die. Join me, War. Like a great sword, I will raise you up, and our enemies will shatter against us. The spoils of a thousand victories will be yours. Or serve the justice of a corrupt Charred Council, and a The Creator who abandons his most faithful. I offer you this choice, Horseman. Would you serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell?" War stood silent for a moment, then drew his weapon and replied "I choose what once, a coward did not". Enraged, the Destroyer attacked War, but with the aid of Ruin and the Blade, he was able to do enough damage to the demon and destroy his draconic form, restoring him to the old Abaddon. War and the fallen angel battled through the ruins of the tower, before War finally overpowered Abaddon. Broken, humiliated and defeated, Abaddon desperately turned to Uriel for support; she simply told the traitor to reap what he had sown. With nothing more to be said, War killed him. 'Current Situation' As Abaddon died, the Seventh Seal fell from his hand. War moved to pick it up, but was stopped by the Watcher, who confirmed the Council's treachery, knowing full well that War would likely turn against them with the Seal in his possession. Uriel desperately tried to intervene, but the Watcher blasted her aside with his magic. However, Uriel armed herself with the Armageddon Blade and both stabbed War in the back to fulfill Nex Sacramentum, then turned the Blade on the Watcher, cutting off his arm and in the process, shattering the Seventh Seal. The breaking of the seal, which calls all four Horsemen to duty, even from oblivion, restored War to life and freed him from the Watcher's control. Free of the wretched creature's torments, War gave no quarter and took his long-awaited revenge and crushed the Watcher's skull in his very hand. In the aftermath of all that had happened, Uriel accused War of knowing what would happen, which had been the only reason he had spared her at the Dry Road. War replied that he hadn't; he had spared Uriel out of a wish not to destroy the last of Heaven's honor by killing its champion. Amazed, but satisfied, Uriel and the Hellguard saluted War. Uriel remarked that his debts to Heaven were repaid, but warned War that she would likely be forced to fight against him again in the near future; a duty from which she would not hesitate. As War made to depart, Uriel called out to him "You will be hunted! The White City for certain, the Council, and...there will be others! You would wage this war alone !?" In reply, War turned to her, held up the broken remnants of the Seventh Seal and replied "No. Not alone." as in the distance, three comets plummeted to Earth, heralding the arrival of the other 3 Horsemen Armament and Abilities War wields a sword called Chaoseater and can mount a Demonic Horse - Ruin. Additionally, War acquires various powers, items and abilities which aid him during his quest. These are only some of them: *Gear items: secondary weapons and tools used to traverse the world of Darksiders. *Wrath Powers: magic-like abilities able to be purchased and upgraded. *Shadowflight: Shadowy wings sprout from War's back so he can glide safely to a surface. *Chronomancer: The ability to slow time using Chronospheres. Like Shadowflight, this ability is gained through Samael. *Chaos Form: War is able to transform into a large, powerful, fiery creature. Trivia *On War's right shoulder pad is a face similar to Samael's. Although it is often claimed that this actually does represent Samael's face, there are similar carvings to be found throughout the game that imply that the carving is more likely a generic demon's face. *When War falls down an abyss or a gap at low health he will take no further damage. It is impossible to die by falling, otherwise. *It seems that war's gauntlet can be used as a weapon; in some of the moves of the tremor gauntlet, War is punching with his own gauntlet too. His gauntlet may come in handy when he's unarmed and has no weapons to use. *War originally had another set of armor (Not the abyssal armor), it was much more ornate and silver looking, with a blue cowl. It was scrapped in the development stage, likely due to it's appearance seeming a bit out of place and not fitting War's concept of the Red rider of war. Gallery Samael_in_wars_shoulder_pad.jpg|Samael engraved on War's right shoulder pad. Darksiders-wrath-of-war-20080520022056289.jpg|War's armor from the game's development stage. References Category:Darksiders Characters Category:The Four Horsemen